The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will allow trekkers to visit the popular Tinagong Dagat within the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP) from Jan. 22 to Feb. 15, before its temporary closure starting Feb. 16.
In an advisory on Thursday, Protected Area Superintendent Ma. Gina Consolacion Gerangaya said applications for mountaineering permits to Danao/Tinagong Dagat will be accepted at the NNNP-Protected Area Management Office satellite site at the DENR compound in Barangay 39 in this city.
Interested individuals or organized groups may submit their applications, she added.
“Tinagong Dagat shall be placed under temporary closure effective Feb. 16, 2026, to facilitate the conduct of environmental impact monitoring and assessment, as well as the review, enhancement, and rationalization of existing trekking policy guidelines,” Gerangaya said, adding that the area “shall remain closed until further notice.”
A major trekking destination in Negros Occidental, Tinagong Dagat, located within Mount Mandalagan in Silay City, is “a breathtaking seasonal wetland formed from an ancient volcanic crater,” based on the description of the NNNP management.
From June to December, or the wet season, Tinagong Dagat transforms into a lake as water fills the ancient volcanic crater, while from December to May, or the dry season, it completely dries up, revealing its grassy plains.
“The best time to visit is during the dry months when the area becomes accessible for trekking and camping,” it added.
The NNNP is a protected area that covers 70,826.16 hectares of land across 11 local government units in Negros Occidental – the cities of Talisay, Silay, Victorias, Cadiz, Sagay, and San Carlos, and the municipalities of EB Magalona, Toboso, Calatrava, Salvador Benedicto, and Murcia.*
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